Parasitic battery drain help, Battery is being drained daily! please help! Options

[deadxwreckoning]

Hello everyone.

I got a small issue that maybe you all could help me out with? My fan relay blew last week, and my fans have been modified to run 24/7 when the keys are inserted. I bought a new relay, and it was supposed to be an authentic Toyota relay, but it was some cheap Taiwan knockoff, anyway it works though. The next day, my battery died while driving and would not hold a charge, so I replaced the battery that night. The next day after the battery was dead again when I went to start the car. Something is causing a large parasitic drain on the battery. Anyone have any ideas on what could be causing this? Maybe the fan relay because it's a cheap knockoff? Any help would be appreciated. Car is a 1995 JDM GT-FOUR.

Thanks

[Special_Edy]

Hello everyone.

I got a small issue that maybe you all could help me out with? My fan relay blew last week, and my fans have been modified to run 24/7 when the keys are inserted. I bought a new relay, and it was supposed to be an authentic Toyota relay, but it was some cheap Taiwan knockoff, anyway it works though. The next day, my battery died while driving and would not hold a charge, so I replaced the battery that night. The next day after the battery was dead again when I went to start the car. Something is causing a large parasitic drain on the battery. Anyone have any ideas on what could be causing this? Maybe the fan relay because it's a cheap knockoff? Any help would be appreciated. Car is a 1995 JDM GT-FOUR.

Thanks

If you have a multimeter you can perform a simple test to locate the drain
Turn the car completely.off and make sure no interior lights or anything are on. Also do not turn anything on during this test(simply turning the keys on could blow the fuse in the multimeter).
Disconnect the negative battery cable and connect the leads of the multimeter so that they bridge the gap between the negative terminal and the negative battery cable, completing the circuit. Now set your multimeter to measure milliamps in DC. Check the reading (of the top of my head it should be below 12 milliamps?)
Remove the fuses from the fusebox under the hood one by one until you locate the one pulling the most amperage, this is your parasitic drain. Now you will have a general idea of which circuit is the culprit.
If you must check the interior fuses, you will need a helper(one person watching the multimeter under the hood and one in the car) and you must manage to check the interior fuses with the door shut or hold the door ajar sensor(button two inches below the latch on the door jamb) down to trick the door into thinking it is shut. I dont think opening the door will draw enough amperage to blow up your multimeter but I definately wouldnt suggest trying.
Anyways, its a great test for the do-it-yourselfer and half the mechanics in the world dont even know how to do it. I would suggest it to anyone as it can be quite supprising how much alarm systems, aftermarket stereos and especially self leveling systems can drain the battery while youre away

Hope this helps, let me know the results and tell us if you have any hang-ups

[richee3]

You have a GT4 in the States or are you stationed overseas?

I'd get the battery tested. I've found once a battery dies once, it's usually done for. It will keep dying after that. That's not to say I'm using the best batteries money can buy though...

[deadxwreckoning]

Thanks for the tips guys, I will have to get a multimeter and test the fuses and relays. I really hope it's just the fan relay - if so I'll have to get a REAL Toyota relay. Got ripped on ebay (guy showed toyota relay and said it was a toyota relay - get a crap piece! haha) but I will have to see with the multimeter.

And richee3 - yes, It's a GT-FOUR in the states! I just picked it up a month ago.

This post has been edited by deadxwreckoning: Apr 3, 2012 - 8:52 PM

[Special_Edy]

Thanks for the tips guys, I will have to get a multimeter and test the fuses and relays. I really hope it's just the fan relay - if so I'll have to get a REAL Toyota relay. Got ripped on ebay (guy showed toyota relay and said it was a toyota relay - get a crap piece! haha) but I will have to see with the multimeter.

And richee3 - yes, It's a GT-FOUR in the states! I just picked it up a month ago.

Your local autoparts store should be able to provide you with a free test of the battery, alternator and starter if you can drive it up there(they usually do check engine lights free too!), just make sure they use one that has metal cooling vents on top(this means it actually places a load on the battery which is better).
Also I always buy my relays from the wrecking yard. You can get a fistfull of genuine ones out of a celica for $5 -$10 and they will exchange them if they are defective.

For a multimeter you can get a digital one for $20 at the parts store here around here. It will have more functions than you or I will ever need or use and its pretty ruged compared to ones more specifically for home use(though it should work great for both DC automotive and AC residential)

[Smaay]

the hell with your drain, i want to hear how you got a GT4 here!

[mandrek]

the hell with your drain, i want to hear how you got a GT4 here!

+1!!!

[deadxwreckoning]

A guy was selling it about a month ago locally. I traded a turbocharged Lexus IS300 + other miscellaneous things for it. How the car actually got in the US I have no idea. Either way I don't really care, owning this car is a dream! (besides the battery lol)

This post has been edited by deadxwreckoning: Apr 4, 2012 - 4:10 PM

[SwissFerdi]

Either FORGMANN or iburnslab's ex-faff. Best o' luck fixing the issue.

This post has been edited by SwissFerdi: Apr 4, 2012 - 6:57 PM

[richee3]

I believe it's iburnslabs' old car. I'd call that a good trade. A boosted IS might be fun, but I would guess that an ST205 is more fun.

Just some questions, you said the battery died while driving? Sounds to me like an alternator issue... It sounds like it's less of an issue with the battery dying and more of an issue of the battery simply not getting charged at all. Knowing that you had a boosted IS and now one of the very very few ST205's in the States, I'm sure you would be more than aware of a battery light, so perhaps the light isn't working. It's just a theory.

Next thought, you said the fans run when the key is in the ignition? Not on, but simply in the ignition? Could be draining the battery there, keeping power to the fans, keeping them ready to kick on.

[deadxwreckoning]

Hey everyone.

So I brought my car down to a buddys shop. Found out the voltage stabilizer in the alternator died. He is sourcing parts that I need and he will rebuild it for me. Hopefully all is well after that.

[mandrek]

Hey everyone.

So I brought my car down to a buddys shop. Found out the voltage stabilizer in the alternator died. He is sourcing parts that I need and he will rebuild it for me. Hopefully all is well after that.

AWESOME!!!

hope that fixes it..